1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a plurality of terminals securely retained therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connectors are used in a variety of applications. One type of connector is commonly known as a board-to-board connector for interconnecting two circuit boards. A board-to-board connector typically includes interengageable male and female connectors. The female connector typically comprises a slot for connecting with a central mating portion of the male connector. A plurality of terminals is arranged with in the slot with a longitudinal spacing therebetween known as the “pitch”.
To promote miniaturization, compact connectors are desirable. The pitch of the terminals is reduced from 0.635 to 0.5 mm and the housing is increasingly thin. A conventional method for forming an electrical connector is to assemble a plurality of terminals in a molded housing. A problem with such a method is that the terminals tend to deform and deflect due to an excessive assembly force during the assembly process. Accordingly, an insert molding method is employed to make small pitch connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,886 discloses such a board-to-board connector comprising an insulative housing having a pair of side walls each defining a plurality of exposed openings in a top surface thereof, and a plurality of terminals insert molded in the insulative housing. During molding process of the insulative housing, the terminals each can keep a correct position via a protrusion portion of an upper mold. The protrusion of the upper mold needs to extend into the openings of the top surfaces of the side walls, so the flows of molding materials will be obstructed thereby resulting in that an upper portion of the insulative housing will be deformed.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.